Leaders from USF Health and the Global Virus Network (GVN) recently gathered on the University of South Florida campus in north Tampa to sign the final documents making it official that USF Health serves as GVN’s Southeast United States Regional Headquarters.

USF Health and GVN announced nearly two years ago that USF Health earned the designation, but COVID-19 delayed the official signing until this year. The signing took place at the USF Lifsey House Feb 27, 2023, and marks the advancement of the collaborative relationship among the two organizations.

From left, Dr. Charles Lockwood, Pres. Rhea Law, Mathew Evins, and Dr. Christian Brechot.

“What we are signing together today marks a first, that USF is the first regional headquarters to be created with GVN,” said Christian Bréchot, MD, PhD, president of GVN; associate vice president for International Partnerships and Innovation at USF; director of the USF Microbiomes Institute, and professor in the Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Internal Medicine at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. “This headquarters at USF will allow GVN to expand its outreach into Florida with USF’s academic, research and medical activities and expertise, including USF’s international activities. In turn, GVN will provide to USF increased visibility and critical mass across the globe in the field of virology.”

“We are so excited to be the headquarters for the Global Virus Network,” said USF President Rhea Law. “This is an initiative in which we can have enhanced collaborations that focus on huge issues affecting our world today. We can make a difference. Thank you so much for all you’ve done. We are looking forward to our collaboration and to our next steps in opportunities to change the world.”

“We are very grateful to be the Southeast Regional Headquarters and this is a significant stepping stone to where we are headed in virology,” said Charles J. Lockwood, MD, executive vice president of USF Health and dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. “One of the key elements of putting this all together is Christian Bréchot. He has been such an incredible resource, for recruitment of virologists, addressing microbiome, and strengthening many of our programs. It has been a joy to see this collaboration develop and grow. So now, the sky is the limit with this great team in place.”

“On behalf of Bob Gallo, the Board of Directors, and the leadership of the Global Virus Network, I would like to express our most profound appreciation to the University of South Florida for its invaluable and instrumental partnership,” Mathew Evins, executive chair and treasurer of the GVN Board of Directors and chair of Evins Communications, Ltd. “I’ve been involved with GVN from the beginning and I cannot think of a situation where I have been more proud. This is a very significant step for us because the key to the successes of GVN in the future are the kind of partnerships we have with the University of South Florida. This for us is not an incremental step; it is an exponential step. I could not be more grateful for your support, your encouragement, and your partnership.”

GVN encompasses the world’s foremost virologists from 71 centers of excellence and 9 affiliates in 40 nations – all working to prevent illness and death from viral diseases posing threats to humanity. Bridging academia, government and industry, the coalition is internationally recognized as an authority and resource for identifying, investigating, interpreting, explaining, controlling, and suppressing viral diseases.

USF Health was the first regional headquarters named by GVN to provide organizational and leadership support to GVN’s Global Headquarters in Baltimore, Md. In that capacity, USF Health will help strengthen GVN’s initial research response to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, and its collaborative efforts to plan for, and defend against, future epidemics and pandemics.

Since announcing USF Health’s designation as the GVN Southeast United States Regional Headquarters, the two organization have launched several programs, including the Global Health Conversation Series with USF Health International that hosted a recent webinar featuring Rachel Roper, MS, PhD, who spoke on Monkeypox virus, vaccines and virulence; Dr. Bréchot’s Health and Care Blog that provides updates on novel insights into the COVID-19 pandemic; One Health Codeathon, an effort between GVN and the USF Genomics Program that provides students the opportunity to learn how to harness data sciences against pandemics; and submission of several joint grant applications, including to the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.

The GVN Southeast U.S. Regional Headquarters based at USF Health will encompass the four health sciences colleges of the university: the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, and the USF Health Taneja College of Pharmacy. USF Health is an integral part of USF, a high-impact global research university dedicated to student success. Over the past 10 years, no other public university in the country has risen faster in U.S. News and World Report’s national university rankings than USF.

The appearance of COVID-19 has transformed society almost beyond recognition, with lasting implications for health care, the economy and our social and psychological well-being. Together we can, and we must, be better prepared to meet the challenges of the next emerging virus.”

In addition to their leadership roles at GVN Global Headquarters in Baltimore, Md., Dr. Bréchot and GVN Vice President Linman Li of the USF Health Division of Infectious Disease and International Medicine will lead the new GVN Southeast U.S. Regional Headquarters and focus on regional efforts to expand government and other research funding, as well as research and training initiatives. The regional headquarters designation will enable USF Health scientists to partner with GVN experts worldwide to share ideas and research, to translate research into practical applications, to improve diagnostics and therapies, and to develop vaccines.

GVN members collaborate on science-driven, independent research in many areas, including immunology and vaccines, antiviral drug therapy, virus-host interaction, diagnostic virology and epidemiology, morphogenesis and structural biology, emerging and re-emerging viruses, viruses as biotechnological tools, and trending topics in virology. They also train the next generation of virologists to combat the epidemics of the future.

Video by Allison Long, photos by Freddie Coleman, USF Health Communications

Baltimore, Maryland, USA (Feb. 23, 2021) — The Global Virus Network (GVN), a coalition comprising the world’s foremost experts in every class of virus causing disease in humans and some animals, today announced that USF Health, at the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa, Fla., will serve as GVN’s Southeast United States Regional Headquarters.

USF Health is the first regional headquarters named by GVN to provide organizational and leadership support to GVN’s Global Headquarters in Baltimore, Md. In that capacity, USF Health will help strengthen GVN’s initial research response to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, and its collaborative efforts to plan for, and defend against, future epidemics and pandemics.

GVN encompasses virologists from 61 centers of excellence and 11 affiliates in 34 nations – all working to prevent illness and death from viral diseases posing threats to humanity. Bridging academia, government and industry, the coalition is internationally recognized as an authority and resource for identifying, investigating, interpreting, explaining, controlling, and suppressing viral diseases.

“USF Health is delighted to be a leading contributor to GVN’s administration, and to support and promote GVN’s virology research and public health policies. With our growing strength in infectious diseases at USF Health, the university is also well positioned to help GVN train and mentor the future leaders who can find new solutions to protect us against contagious diseases,” said Dr. Christian Bréchot, president of the GVN; associate vice president for International Partnerships and Innovation at USF; and professor, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Internal Medicine at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

The GVN Southeast U.S. Regional Headquarters based at USF Health will encompass the four health sciences colleges of the university: the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, and the USF Health Taneja College of Pharmacy. USF Health is an integral part of USF, a high-impact global research university dedicated to student success. Over the past 10 years, no other public university in the country has risen faster in U.S. News and World Report’s national university rankings than USF.

The new Global Virus Network Southeast U.S. Regional Headquarters will be led by GVN President Dr. Christian Bréchot, professor of internal medicine at USF Health and associate vice president for International Partnerships and Innovation at USF, and GVN Vice President Linman Li of the USF Health Division of Infectious Disease and International Medicine.

“USF Health has already been supporting GVN’s administrative efforts, and we are pleased to officially recognize their past efforts and ongoing efforts to advance the GVN by naming USF Health as the GVN Southeast U.S. Regional Headquarters,” said  Dr. Robert Gallo, GVN co-founder and international scientific advisor, who is also The Homer & Martha Gudelsky Distinguished Professor in Medicine and Director of the Institute of Human Virology (IHV) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

In addition to their leadership roles at GVN Global Headquarters in Baltimore, Md., Dr. Bréchot and GVN Vice President Linman Li of the USF Health Division of Infectious Disease and International Medicine will lead the new GVN Southeast U.S. Regional Headquarters and focus on regional efforts to expand government and other research funding, as well as research and training initiatives. The regional headquarters designation will enable USF Health scientists to partner with GVN experts worldwide to share ideas and research, to translate research into practical applications, to improve diagnostics and therapies, and to develop vaccines.

“We look forward to partnering with the Global Virus Network to advance the coalition’s leading work in viral research and evidence-based responses to epidemics and pandemics,” said Charles J. Lockwood, MD, senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. “The appearance of COVID-19 has transformed society almost beyond recognition, with lasting implications for health care, the economy and our social and psychological well-being. Together we can, and we must, be better prepared to meet the challenges of the next emerging virus.”

When new outbreaks arise, such as what happened with SARS-CoV-2, GVN experts stand ready to provide critical insights needed for infectious disease containment and prevention. The new partnership will help increase the authority, leadership, and visibility of USF Health and GVN in virology at the regional, national, and international levels.

GVN members collaborate on science-driven, independent research in many areas, including immunology and vaccines, antiviral drug therapy, virus-host interaction, diagnostic virology and epidemiology, morphogenesis and structural biology, emerging and re-emerging viruses, viruses as biotechnological tools, and trending topics in virology. They also train the next generation of virologists to combat the epidemics of the future.

About the Global Virus Network (GVN)
The Global Virus Network (GVN) is essential and critical in the preparedness, defense and first research response to emerging, existing and unidentified viruses that pose a clear and present threat to public health, working in close coordination with established national and international institutions. It is a coalition comprising eminent human and animal virologists from 61 Centers of Excellence and 11 Affiliates in 34 countries worldwide, working collaboratively to train the next generation of virologists, advance knowledge about how to identify and diagnose pandemic viruses, mitigate and control how such viruses spread and make us sick, as well as develop drugs, vaccines and treatments to combat them. No single institution in the world has expertise in all viral areas other than the GVN, which brings together the finest medical virologists to leverage their individual expertise and coalesce global teams of specialists on the scientific challenges, issues and problems posed by pandemic viruses. The GVN is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, please visit www.gvn.org. Follow us on Twitter @GlobalVirusNews

About USF Health
USF Health’s mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the Taneja College of Pharmacy, the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, the Biomedical Sciences Graduate and Postdoctoral Programs, and USF Health’s multispecialty physicians group. The University of South Florida is a high-impact global research university dedicated to student success. Over the past 10 years, no other public university in the country has risen faster in U.S. News and World Report’s national university rankings than USF. For more information, visit health.usf.edu

GVN offers four scholarships to self-paced online training course

Baltimore, MD  (Nov 17, 2020) — The Global Virus Network (GVN), together with the University of South Florida (USF) Institute of Microbiomes, recently launched the self-paced online course “Microbiomes and Their Impact on Viral Infections.” Taught by world-renowned instructors, this course will provide students, academics, and health professionals with the latest knowledge of the importance and role of microbiomes in preventing, mitigating, and treating diseases. The initiative also supports GVN’s mission to train the next generation of virologists and better prepare mankind for future viral threats.

“This course is timely as virologists around the world work to further their investigations into the causes, catalysts, and prevention mechanisms of viral infection,” said Dr. Christian Bréchot, president of GVN and professor at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. “We are pleased to collaborate with the USF Institute of Microbiomes, which houses the online, transdisciplinary program. It is a terrific example of a much-needed training partnership critical to mitigating viral threats.”

Microbiomes and Their Impact on Viral Infections is a non-credit course comprised of two sessions. The first, “Introduction to Microbiomes,” consists of 11 modules while the second, “Symbiotic Evolutions in the Microbiome World,” comprises nine modules and is available to students for up to eight weeks after the start date. With a transdisciplinary approach, students will have access to lectures and complementary material, and will receive a certificate and a digital badge upon course completion.

GVN awarded four course scholarships to the following investigators working in various stages of viral infection prevention: Joseph Osega, a Kenya-based technical advisor and national HIV recency coordinator, who has extensive knowledge of HIV, malaria and TB diagnostics to build capacity and develop public health infrastructure in Kenya; Nanma Cosmas, a lecturer and a doctoral candidate at the University of Jos, Nigeria, who focuses on prevention of HPV and other sexually transmitted infectious diseases among adolescent and young adults through studies of microbiome in various parts of the body; Onyekachukwu Okeke, a doctoral candidate at the University of Jos, Nigeria, who works at a medical laboratory and has been on the front line during the COVID-19 crisis; and Sophia Osawe, a doctoral candidate at the University of Jos, who researches the effects of maternal HIV infection and prenatal immunization on the immune responses and growth of infants.

“The learning modules are designed by GVN virologists from 33 nations, 57 Centers of Excellence (CoEs), and 11 affiliated laboratories that are at the heart of GVN’s strength,” said Dr. Ramesh Akkina, a director with a GVN CoE at Colorado State University where he is a professor and an instructor of the microbiomes course. “Besides furthering research, GVN members are focused on training virologists to help identify, research and combat pandemics of the future.”

“Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic more than 55 million cases have been reported, and this partnership provides a critical balance between creating new knowledge and making that knowledge available to researchers in the field,” Dr. Brechot added. “I am happy that GVN and USF have come together to partner on important initiatives to advance the transfer of knowledge.  The GVN is pleased to provide necessary training opportunities for tomorrow’s leaders.”

As the only coalition of its kind, GVN leads with scientific, evidence-based solutions to function as an essential global resource for researchers, medical practitioners and policymakers as well as students considering the field of virology as a career choice.

USF Health’s Dr. Christian Brechot leads the Global Virus Network

The University of South Florida was at the forefront when the world’s top virologists met recently to identify advances and pitfalls in the fight against COVID-19 and drive a “Viral Pandemic Readiness Alliance.”

USF Health’s Christian Bréchot, MD, PhD, president of the Global Virus Network, presided over the GVN’s 2020 Special Annual Meeting, held virtually Sept. 23-24. GVN is a network representing 57 research centers (including USF) and 10 affiliates in 33 countries – all working to prevent illness and death from viral disease through independent, science-driven expertise.

Christian Brechot, MD, PhD

With Dr. Brechot leading GVN and Linman Li, MBA, MPH, of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine’s Division of Infectious Disease and International Medicine, serving as GVN vice-president, USF is now recognized as a major partner of the international coalition at a critical time for overall population health.

GVN convened the two-day workshop to address epidemics and pandemics in the modern era. Discussion and presentations focused largely on the COVID-19 pandemic, which has upended the world with its health, economic, social and psychological ramifications.

“We do not know what the future holds for COVID-19 – there may be seasonal variations, or chronic infections, or maybe a slowdown,” said Dr. Bréchot, senior associate dean for research in global affairs at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and professor in the Department of Internal Medicine.  “However, we know that we have to prepare now — not after the end of this pandemic. In the spirit of preparation, we used this special annual meeting to band together international experts to identify and analyze what went wrong, what has been properly handled, and what recommendations we can confidently make.”

The key take-away points from the workshop are included in this press release. An executive summary citing the major research issues discussed — including the need for rapid and reliable diagnostic testing based on salivary samples, repurposed drugs and new therapies combining direct antiviral approaches with immune modulation, and vaccines targeting innate immunity — can be viewed here.  GVN scientist also weighed in on the role of “super-spreaders” and “super-spreading events” in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 infection; read more about that research in Dr. Bréchot’s Oct. 7 blog.

As a result of the workshop, GVN is contacting the other stakeholder institutions to drive a multidisciplinary response strategy, called the Viral Pandemic Readiness Alliance. This alliance would help unify the efforts of academia, industry, government and communities in confronting the challenges of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and preparing for future viral threats.

“It may sound obvious, but as long as each country tries to address the COVID-19 pandemic on its own, we won’t come through,” Dr. Bréchot said. “This is a fight that is going to last, and we need to find solutions together. It requires global cooperation and coordination to efficiently translate our scientific and technological advances into successful infectious disease and public health outcomes.”

Dr. Christian Bréchot will help elevate biomedical and health-related areas of research excellence to the international level

The former head of the world-renowned Pasteur Institute in Paris has joined USF Health to help university leaders strengthen biomedical and health-related areas of research excellence – and to elevate interdisciplinary signature programs to the international level.

Christian Bréchot, MD, PhD

Preeminent virologist Christian Bréchot, MD, PhD, joined the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine part time in October as senior associate dean for research in global affairs, associate vice president for international partnerships and innovation, and a professor in the Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Internal Medicine.  Dr. Bréchot is also executive director of the Tampa-based Romark Laboratories Institute for Medical Research. Since 2017, he has served as president of the Global Virus Network, a coalition of the world’s foremost medical virologists.

“Dr. Bréchot has been at the forefront of catalyzing teams of top scientists to work together effectively on global solutions for emerging pathogens, malaria and microbial infections,” said Charles Lockwood, MD, senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine. “He is the ideal person to work with leadership across USF Health and USF in strategically identifying opportunities to take our infectious diseases, cardiovascular, neuroscience, and maternal-child health translational research to the next level, and to build upon the international networks he helped create at the Pasteur Institute and elsewhere to make that happen.”

Before serving as president of the Pasteur Institute from 2013 to 2017, Dr. Bréchot was vice president of medical and scientific affairs at Institut-Merieux, a company that develops new approaches to fight infectious diseases and cancers.  He also served as the general director of Inserm, the French national agency for biomedical research (analogous to the National Institutes of Health in the U.S.) from 2002 to 2007. As professor of hepatology and cell biology at Necker School of Medicine, Paris Descartes University, he headed the clinical department of liver diseases at Necker-Enfants Maldes Hospital from 1997 to 2001.

Dr. Bréchot has authored more than 400 articles in medical and scientific journals, and in 2005 was ranked by the Institute for Scientific Information as the 4^th most cited author on the topic hepatitis C. He has been recognized as an inventor on 18 patents, and helped to create three biotechnology companies.

With a prestigious career bridging basic science and medicine, Dr. Bréchot has combined research, clinical service and teaching with top administrative posts to enhance scientific understanding and better public health. His scholarly endeavors have included cultivating productive public-private partnerships between academia and industry.

During a recent interview in his office at USF Health, Dr. Bréchot talked about leading the Pasteur Institute, a preeminent global network of 33 institutes in 26 countries; his diverse background; and his new role at USF Health.  The interview has been edited for length.

What has been your area of research focus?

As an MD-PhD, I’ve always been convinced of the need to combine basic research with clinical practice — long before translational medicine became fashionable. My basic science research has combined cell biology and molecular virology, mostly focusing on hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) and how these viruses can induce liver cancer. I’ve also been very involved in developing diagnostic tests of HBV and HCV and evaluating new drugs to treat chronic forms of the infection.  More recently, I’ve worked on the mechanisms of liver regeneration and based on longstanding research activity in my laboratory, we discovered a new molecule (HIP/PAP, or hepatocarcinoma-intestine-pancreas/pancreatic associated protein), now being tested in clinical trials as a drug that may be useful for patients with a severe form of acute and chronic hepatitis. We’re contemplating organizing new phase 2 clinical trials in China, because China has so many people with chronic hepatitis B infection.

What were some major accomplishments at the Pasteur Institute under your leadership?

First, both at Inserm and the Pasteur Institute, I was very much focused on attracting and supporting young investigators. We created programs and special funding mechanisms to really give scientists at the early stages of their careers the means to develop interdisciplinary research and then get a grant. Second, at Pasteur, we reinforced research activities, especially in the fields of bioinformatics and integrative biology. We created a Center for Bioinformatics, Biostatistics and Integrative Biology (an international multidisciplinary center for processing, analyzing and modeling biological data) that included recruiting 40 high-level engineers and opening a new building.  Third, we merged the activities of different departments focused on the microbiota. For instance, we had a program called Brain and Microbes in which scientists working on infectious agents and those working in the neurosciences looked at how the bacteria of the intestine can modulate brain function, including disorders such as anxiety and depression.

What is the microbiome, and why is it such a hot area of research interest?

The microbiota is made up of populations of bacteria, fungi, certain viruses and other microorganisms present throughout the body.  It’s actually a very old topic:  The first microbiota intervention (to treat diarrhea) was done by a Chinese doctor 3,000 years before Christ (the ancient equivalent of a fecal microbiota transplant). What’s new is our technological progress – with the capacity for genome sequencing and advances in bioinformatics, we now have the possibility to investigate the human microbiota like never before… As a result, we’ve discovered very significant connections between dysbiosis — modifications of how microbe populations are distributed in the gut, the lungs, the skin — and metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, neurological diseases like Parkinson’s and perhaps also Alzheimer’s, and some infectious diseases where disease severity correlates with what happens to intestinal bacteria. It’s a fascinating, challenging field with applications for cross-disciplinary research and translational medicine, and where international cooperation can be extremely interesting because the link between, say for example, the microbiota and diabetes may be very different in the U.S. and Africa due to the strong influence of environmental factors such as nutrition, as well as genetic variations… So, the science of microbiota as it affects certain diseases is a very good example of a collaboration which, if organized with centers in Africa, Southeast Asia and South America, could create a unique USF program very competitive with other universities.

What attracted you to the University of South Florida?

USF already has a lot of excellent ongoing research activities and in my discussions with senior leadership I found there’s real international ambition here, a desire and commitment to go further. I liked that.

What is your vision for helping advance research at USF Health?

I’m still in the stage where I need to listen and learn more about the research activities to see how I can best contribute. But, initially I want to work with Drs. Lockwood, (Paul) Sanberg, (Stephen) Liggett, (John) Sinnott and other leaders to delineate which strategic research areas need to be reinforced and then contribute to the high-level recruitment of scientists. Second, we’ll increase coordination among different departments working in research areas such as the intestinal microbiota and its impact on cardiovascular, neurodegenerative and infectious diseases. Third, I hope to contribute to the international expansion of USF, building upon the networks from my previous activities including work with industry partners.

I absolutely appreciate that I will only be efficient in helping to advance research activities at USF if I integrate into the team. It’s not always easy, but it works.

Dr. Bréchot will build on global networks from his previous activities, including work with industry partners.

You have said talent is key to research excellence. Is there one predominant quality you seek in selecting top talent?

You start by looking for bright minds. But, when you must choose among five scientists all with very bright minds, enthusiasm and the capacity to integrate are critically important. I’m a fan of soccer where you need to have very talented players, but you also very much need players with team spirit. Modern science needs researchers with an interdisciplinary mode of thinking who interact well with those from other disciplines.

Some things you may not know about Dr. Bréchot:

-Each generation of Dr. Bréchot’s family, dating back to King Louis XIV of France, had at least one medical doctor.

– As a student at Pasteur Institute, he helped set up the first diagnostic test to detect hepatitis B virus in blood; he also taught the first course in molecular biology in China in 1981.

-He met his wife Patrizia Paterlini Bréchot, MD, PhD, a professor of medicine at Necker School of Medicine and founder of a biotech company, when she came from Italy for a postdoctoral fellowship at Necker and Pasteur Institute in Paris. His five grown children include two MD-PhDs: a daughter who is a cancer immunologist at Pennsylvania State University, and a son who directs an intensive care unit at Pitié–Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris, one of Europe’s largest teaching hospitals. There are also six grandchildren, ranging from ages 1 to 11.

-Dr. Bréchot enjoys jogging, playing tennis and snow skiing. Currently, he’s reading about U.S. history, including biographies of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

-Photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Communications and Marketing